Mahabharata 1.140.87 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 140, Shloka 87
Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)
अग्निं स्तोकमिवात्मानं संधुक्षयति यो नर: । स वर्धमानो ग्रसते महान्तमपि संचयम्
agniṁ stokam ivātmānaṁ sandhukṣayati yo naraḥ | sa vardhamāno grasate mahāntam api sañcayam ||
Wie ein kleines Feuer stetig angefacht wird, so wächst der Mensch, der seine Kraft und Mittel allmählich vermehrt, mit der Zeit heran, bis er selbst gewaltige Ansammlungen verzehrt—die großen Vorräte des Feindes überwindet, wie die Flamme den Brennstoff verschlingt. Der Rat mahnt zu geduldiger, schrittweiser Selbstmehrung, bis man fähig ist, weit größere Macht zu bezwingen.
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Incremental strengthening—like slowly kindling a small fire—leads to decisive power: steady self-improvement and resource-building can eventually overwhelm even a much larger opposing stock of strength.
Kaṇika is giving political-ethical counsel in the Adi Parva, using the metaphor of a small fire that, once properly kindled and grown, can consume a large heap—illustrating how a person (or ruler) should build capacity gradually to defeat stronger rivals.
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